Skip to main content

The Walking Dead (Volume 30) New World Order by Robert Kirkman.

"The group that set out to find Eugene's mystery lady, Stephanie, from the CB Radio, find her amongst a massive new group called the Commonwealth."

5 Stars. 

Pros:  Michonne's surprise and again, the revelation of new communities and how they live their lives. 

Cons: You'd think in a world that's been radically changed, people would be more accepting of "law and order", a way of life, a routine, though it makes sense that there would be differing opinions/Again, Princess is obnoxious. 

Full Review: 

The group that went out in search of Stephanie, the woman that Eugene had been speaking to on the CB Radio he bought at the fair, meet with a cadre of armed and fully armored guards. They are forced to give up their weapons and brought to the "staging area." Before they get there, they come to the "wall of the lost" which is a bulletin board of photos of basically "missing persons." Michonne finds a picture of herself and is overwhelmed. It proves that one of her daughters, Elodie, was here, at least at some point. She's eager to get the greetings and niceties over with so she can look for her daughter. 

They're all asked what they did for a living before the apocalypse and Michonne's answer of a lawyer is met with pleasure. She's brought before the Governor, Pamela, who starts to explain how things work in the Commonwealth. But after humoring her for a few moments, Michonne gives in and explains the situation. She shows her the photograph and explains that this means her daughter must be here and Pamela says, as a mother herself, she fully understands. She takes Michonne to the bakery where her daughter works.

They're reunited and Michonne is finally happy. There is tension, obviously and emotions that have to be dealt with, things that they did to survive, but Michonne knows they have time now and can talk about it all when they want. They don't need to rush anything anymore because they're finally together. 

The group stays for a few days, Michonne and Elodie, catch up. Eugene finally meets Stephanie in the flesh and the group takes its time, drinking in the sights. Though there are some things that seem a little "off" (Pamela's son Sebastian being a jackass and treating others like dirt), for the most part things seem safe.  The idea of a class system doesn't sit well with some though. They don't agree that just because you were "upper class" before the apocalypse, that you should be upper class now. Pamela explains that everyone in the Commonwealth works hard and they're evaluated annually and given the chance to move up the ladder and be given better positions. 

It makes sense but in this new "world", the people of Alexandria, the Hilltop work along the lines that everyone is equal. Pamela asks to be taken to Rick and shown Alexandria. As the group leaves, Michonne gives Eugene her sword and asks him to give it to Rick, saying that it will prove to him how much she trusts these people. She stays to be with her daughter. 

When the people from the Commonwealth arrive, Dwight is there to meet them with the army. Rick tells him to stand down and takes Pamela aside to talk, explaining why Dwight reacted the way he did. They've had to deal with some seriously twisted individuals to survive and so their caution is understandable. The conversation eventually comes to the people in Alexandria that could be used as assets in the Commonwealth, such as Eugene and Michonne.  

Rick explains that in Alexandria, no one is better than anyone else. They all work hard and do their fair share to get what they need to survive. It's a community where they work together. And Pamela explains that that's not how the world works, it never has been. There's always been a class system, there have always been people who are higher up than others and they deserve to be treated as "special." Rick explains, bluntly, that perhaps it's time for a new world order. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars.  Pros:  Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place.  Cons:  The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact.  Full Review:  When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood  clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage.   2 Stars Pros:  Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel.  Cons:  Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end.  Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...

A Swiftly Tilting Planet (Time Quintet #3) by Madeleine L’Engle

“The apocalypse is looming when a random South American Dictator threatens Nuclear War. Of course, Charles Wallace is the only one who can stop it!  It's all tied into the descendants of Meg's mother in law, Mrs. O'Keefe, Calvin's mother.  With the help of a Unicorn named Gudior, Charles Wallace is off to save the day. This was another head scratcher and I'm not holding out much hope that the series will start making sense." 2 Stars Pros Time travel, to me, is far less surreal than whatever was going on in #2. So this was an easier read. Cons: Megs constant questioning starts right on page 1, at least she’s consistent/I do love how Mr. Murry is on speed dial with the President/The various timelines got very confusing and all the Brans/Maddocs/Maddox/Gwens/Gwyns and the multiple Zillah and Zillies were extremely frustrating. I had no idea who I was reading about at the end.  Full Review:  Years have passed and all the Murry children have grown. Dennys and San...